Wire-stretcher.



No. 896,760. PATENTED AUG. 25, 1908. C. M. & H. A. RUGGLES.

WIRE STRBTGHER.

APPLICATION FILED 17110.16, 1907.-

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CONSTANT M. RUGGLES AND HARRY A. RUGGLES, OF GLENELLYN, ILLINOIS.

WIRE-STRETCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 25, 1908.

Application filed December 16, 1907. Serial No. 406,705.

i To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CONSTANT M. RUG; GLES and HARRY A. RUGGLES, citizens of the United States, residing at Glenellyn, in the county of Dupage, State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Wire-Stretcher, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to wire stretchers, and has for its object to provide a simple device for tightening and stretching wire strands, such as are used in fence construction and for other purposes, when'the ends of a broken wire are to be joined, or a wire is to be fastened to a post or other anchorage.

To this end the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which is a perspective view of the improved wire stretcher in operative position.

The numeral 1 indicates a long, flat open link which may be made of malleable or forged wire, or cut from a plate with teeth 2 formed on the opposing inneredges of the side bars 3, as shown. The side bars 3 of the link are in parallel relation and surrounded by a flat loop 4, slidable thereon from end to end of the link. Riveted or otherwise fastened to the loo 4 between the side bars 3 is a plate 5, paral el to said side bars and projecting at each end beyond said loop, one of said ends 6 beln bent outwardly or offset as represented. Pivoted to the other end of the plate 5 is an o erating lever 7, divided or forked at one en 8 to straddle transversely the link 1 and roject beyond it. Intermediate the forked end 8 the operating lever is connected by a pivot pin 9 to the end of the plate 5, as heretofore stated. Pivoted within the fork of the lever 7 at equal distances from the pivot pin 9 and outside the link 1 are two L-shaped pawls 10, the shorter arms 11 of which embrace the respective side bars 3 and engage the teeth 2 on their inner edges. These pawls 10 are each made, referably, of a U-shaped piece of iron or stee l folded upon itself, as clearly shown in the drawing, to produce a pawl of the desired shape and character, the shorter arm 11 being formed by the folded part of the blank, and, lying on each side of the side bar 3, the pawl can never slip laterally from the teeth when it becomes worn at its pivotal end. A spring 12 is fastened to each pawl and bears on the I outer edge of the respective side bar 3 to hold the pawl in engagement with the teeth.

A wire clamp 13 is connected to the offset end of the plate 5, and a similar clamp 14 is suspended from the end of the link 1 at the opposite end of the wire stretcher. The two wire clamps are substantially alike, a description of one will, therefore, answer for both. The wire clamp 13 comprises a plate 15 of any desired or convenient shape provided at one end with an ear 16 projecting at a right angle therefrom, and near the opposite end, but at one edge of said plate, is a fixed j aw 1 7 also projecting at a right angle and on the same side of the plate as the ear 16.

Pivoted eccentrically on the plate 15 above 1 the fixed jaw 17 is a rocking jaw 18 having a serrated lower edge adapted to coact with the serrated upper surface of the fiXed jaw 17 for clamping a wire. A rod 19 attached to the end of the rocking-jaw 18 passes through a hole in the ear 16 and is connected to the offset end 6 of the plate 5 by an eye 20 on the end of the rod. Between the ear 16 and the eye 20 the rod 19 is surrounded by a coil spring 21 which tends to keep the jaws 17 and 18 always closed.

The wire clamp 14: differs from the clamp 13 by omitting the spiral spring and having a hook 22 suspended from the outer end of the plate 15 by a chain 23. A short chain 24 connects the eye on the rod 19 to the long link 1.

To use the device for splicing or connecting the ends of a broken wire, the Spring 21 on the clamp 13 is compressed to open the jaws 17 and 18 between which one of the wire ends is placed, and the spring released to close the jaws on the wire. The jaws of the clamp 14 are then opened and the other end of the wire caught between them. Now by oscillating the lever 7, the pawls 10 will alternately advance and engage the teeth 2 in succession, drawing the ends of the wire closer together until they overlap sufficiently to form the joint and the proper tension given to the wire. When the end of a wire is to be fastened to an anchorage, the chain 23 will be wound around some fixed object and fastened by the hook 22, the wire being gripped on the clamp 13.

We claim 1. A wire stretcher comprising a long flat open link having teeth on its 0 posing inner edges, a loop slidable on said ink, an oscil lating lever having a forked end straddling said link, said forked end pivotally connected to said loop, a pawl pivoted Within the forked end of the lever outside each edge of said link, said pawls embracing the sides of the link and engaging the teeth thereon, a wire clamp susended from one end of said link, and a simiar wire clamp fastened to the loop.

2. A wire stretcher comprising a long, flat, open link having teeth on its opposing inner edges, a loop slidable on said link, a plate fastened to said loop within the link, an oscillating lever having a forked end straddling said link, pivotally attached to one end of said plate, a pawl pivoted within the forked end of said lever outside each edge of the link, said pawls embracing the sides of the link and engaging the teeth thereon, a wire clamp suspended from one end of said link, and a similar wire clamp connected to the other end of the aforesaid plate.

3. A wire stretcher comprising i l -ng, flat,

open link having teeth on its opposing inner edges, a loop slidable on said link, an oscillating lever having a forked end straddling said link and pivotally connected to said loop, an L-shaped pawl pivoted within the forked end of said lever outside each edge of said link, said pawls being formed of a folded Ushaped plate arranged astride the sides of the link, the folds of the pawls preventing lateral movement thereof, a wire clamp suspended from one end of said link, and a similar wire clamp connected to said loop.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own, we have hereto afliXed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses:

J. W. TURNER, T. A. HOADLEY. 

